I think both would skin well. I like the leaf for the way that I unzip hides with the spine against the meat. A bit of upward curve helps keep the point moving forward. All I would want is enough length in the blade to fillet out an elk backstrap or get in to a tenderloin. Those two tasks require a blade length in the 3.5 - 4in range, for me.
Custom mini Canadian belt knife
- Thread starter ElPollo
- Start date
The @Dixie design I have has a little too much belly for general knife tasks, but it isn't unusable. I could make it work. Out hunting, I don't really use a knife much more than at home.
If I were forced to choose one knife, I would have you add just a little more belly to your knife and tweak the handle to what I like. I can't think of anything I personally would do with a knife that the extra belly would hinder.
And, that knife would work well for skinning. We are talking small variations after all.
I EDC carry a Benchmade Mini Bugout that gets used for everything else in my life. I am not bushcrafting when hunting. If I am gonna bushcraft, it would be a Mora. I keep my game knife in my kill kit with gloves and bags.
In the kitchen, I intentionally used the CBK to process the javelina. It worked, but I have better kitchen knives for that purpose.
Lawnboi
WKR
I like a more exaggerated leaf shape so I can pinch up the blade if needed.
Agree. The leaf shape literally unzipped the hide. I was amazed by it. I don't know how wide the leaf needs to be to keep the effect. I think it is something you need to experience to understand.
For my sample of one, the point was out of the way and there was never a time that the knife could penetrate up to the fingerguard as the spine ran on the meat. There was always some curve to keep unzipping. It didn't matter if the hide stretched a little, the long sweep was continuously slicing.
I would need to unzip more animals, but I don't even know that I would feel the need to keep my finger by the point to prevent the tip from diving into meat.
This might help explain why I think the shape and handle angle can change the way you hold and use a knife. I don't think there is a need to choke up on the knife during the skinning process, unless you want to. Other tasks require it, but only a really wide leaf design would start to limit the ability of the knife to do the task cleanly.
I think the 3.5" is perfect for me, I could even consider going to 3.25 or so.
Dixie
Lil-Rokslider
- Joined
- Jan 13, 2023
- Messages
- 160
Yea maybe not put by a picture of your prototype on the website…for $350 I’d expect a tad more refinement.
Lawnboi
WKR
When I started using a leaf shaped blade this is exactly how I felt.
It’s painful watching someone hack with a traditional style hunting knife when the leaf shape does all the work for you, on both skinning and deboning.
It’s an even better knife shape for the kitchen too.
Even on the little javelina, there were so many moments where I just pushed the knife in the direction I wanted the blade to go without concern for the tip. And, it easily made long sweeping cuts unzipping the hide and separating it from the carcass. All that while I maintained one grip on the handle.
I think choking up and the short strokes typical of skinning are related to the typical hunting blade shape.
The CBK is a different beast, and has to be experienced.
Edited to add that I think the hand and arm fatigue I feel after an elk can be significantly reduced. It should help with the cramps and fatigue in the legs and back because the process is easier and shorter.
Lawnboi
WKR
I like to be able to choke up when working around the inner rear quarters when doing gutless on the ground. Nice to be able to do when fishing out tenderloins as well.
Pics of the small carcass, and stages in skinning. You can see I used one grip.
This handle angle isn’t much more than @CypressCreek but the shape I ground makes the grip more natural when working, over the typical fat end for the pinky.
I asked @Dixie to add a little more handle angle for the next prototype he did for me.
Like @Lawnboi and @Trogon commented, there is a purpose for the leaf design, and I think that benefit can be lost. It’s part of why it looks “extreme”.
Hope this helps @CypressCreek and others.
This handle angle isn’t much more than @CypressCreek but the shape I ground makes the grip more natural when working, over the typical fat end for the pinky.
I asked @Dixie to add a little more handle angle for the next prototype he did for me.
Like @Lawnboi and @Trogon commented, there is a purpose for the leaf design, and I think that benefit can be lost. It’s part of why it looks “extreme”.
Hope this helps @CypressCreek and others.
We are 17 pages in, so @CypressCreek I circled back and looked at the original post and knife.
I could carry that model as my “one knife” for everything. It’s usable for everything and I think close enough to do the unzipping and skinning.
To make a custom one for me to do game only, I think I would make a couple tweaks towards what @Dixie has done with “extremes” of the style. Specifically making it just a bit wider so the leaf is fatter and add a little more handle angle, maybe up .25” at the back end.
I could carry that model as my “one knife” for everything. It’s usable for everything and I think close enough to do the unzipping and skinning.
To make a custom one for me to do game only, I think I would make a couple tweaks towards what @Dixie has done with “extremes” of the style. Specifically making it just a bit wider so the leaf is fatter and add a little more handle angle, maybe up .25” at the back end.
CypressCreek
FNG
Thanks for circling back and summing it up! I'll toss my original design into solidworks and do some design modifications
All my work is on the ground, I would have done that little javelina on the ground too, but my buddy was there to do it his way. Never would have occurred to me to tie it up, lol.
I could “see” the potential in the design, but to experience it once did it. I forced myself not to choke up but “used” the design.
That’s what pulled it together for me once others started making comments that really clicked.
Just one man’s thoughts and experiments…
Lawnboi
WKR
Hang them if you can! It’s the best way. Common practice up here.All my work is on the ground, I would have done that little javelina on the ground too, but my buddy was there to do it his way. Never would have occurred to me to tie it up, lol.
Dixie
Lil-Rokslider
- Joined
- Jan 13, 2023
- Messages
- 160
So looking at my old knife I liked previous…thought a few changes could make it somewhat more useful after input from this post. This is more a dedicated skinner, more sweep in the tip…yes,no?
Been hard to find a good cactus with arms for the deer, and well, elk…
Lawnboi
WKR
It’s a little different when you can just pick them up with a tractor.Been hard to find a good cactus with arms for the deer, and well, elk…
Awesome! Thanks Dixie. I owe you some more bags in trade.
Man, sometimes we are lucky to drag them three feet… this is why having a knife with big belly is appealing to me that I can just grab with a handle. Especially where you’ve got to contort yourself into a position and even reach below you sometimes.
I was glad I only had to do two quarters on this one. We barely drug his head out of the tangle with 4 dudes. I think this picture was after the smiling guy had spent 15 minutes cutting back branches with a smallish backpacking saw.
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